Fruit-basket.



k1 ATBNTED MAR.31,1903,

I' s LDUNKmsY-A FRUIT BASKET.

A-PPLIUATION FILED MAY 20. 1901.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL J. DUNKIEY, OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.

Y FRUIT-BASKET.

SPECIFICATION forming partV of Letters Patent No. 724,170, 'dated Marchl, 1903. i Application filed May 2,0. 1901. Serial No. 61.062. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL J. DUNKLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing atthe city of Kalamazoo, in the county of Kalamazoo and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit- Baskets, of which the following is a specification. l i

This invention relates to an improvement in fruit-baskets, and particularly to a displaybasket which is well adapted for 'shipping purposes.

The baskets in which fruit is usually shipped have low covers and the fruit is necessarily packed very close and a low flat cover einployed, for the reason that a high cover could the same the cover was too weak to stand the' strain of shipping and piling.

Another important matter in wconnection with display-baskets was that there was no effective way of sealing the same.

The objects of this invention are, first, to provide an ordinary handled basket with a satisfactory high cover that can be easily put in position and which shall be of suflicient strength to withstand the heavy strain of being packed with others in shipment, and to provide a high cover for a fruit-basket that can be effectively sealed,and to provide in connection with the cover improved means of retaining it in position.

Further objects will appear in the detailed description to follow.

A structure embodying my invention is fully described in the following specification.

The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the claims.

A structure embodying the features of my invention is fully shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specilication, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fruitbasket with my improved cover applied. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view on line 2 2 of Fig.

1, showing the manner of retaining the cover arched handle A'. My improved cover consists of bands B B', forming the sides and.

ends ofthe cover, the same conforming somewhat to the form'of the top of the basket,

though curved so as to cross the upper part of the same diagonally, and thus insure a firm support. Each side of the handle and between these bands is an arch D D, which is secured to the bands B B by nailing, stapling, or other suitable means. Pieces C C are attached to the bands B B at each end, extend upwardly, and are then bent down dat toward the center and secured to the central part of the -arched pieces D D, terminating at that point and leaving an open space to set down over the handle A. When this is done, I place a sealing-card C between the two ends of the longitudinal strips C C, and

as long as it remains unbroken it is impossible to remove the cover or manipulate it to abstract fruit from the basket. At each side of the cover I insert a wrought-nail E inwardly, bend the same downwardly, force it through between the two upper bands of the basket when the same is thus constructed, and bend the end of the nail outward and upward,which prevents any movement of the cover. Where but a single band is-around the top of the basket, the nail can be looped around the single band in this way. y

It is obvious that the structure I have descrbed'can be considerably varied and still secure all the advantages of the same. The

band or hoop B might be omitted by making the band B somewhat wider or where a very open cover is desired without thus increasing its.width.

This basket, owing to the arched parts C D, will support a very heavy load placed upon it, and these baskets can be stacked two side lby side and then two across the top, and so on in the ordinary manner to any practical height without danger of breaking or crushing the baskets or the fruit in the same, whereas heretofore only a small number of display-baskets could be usedonly enough for a single layer on top of the pile. As the fruit is much more attractive in these displaybaskets and can be placed within the same without danger of bruising,the advantages of the structure are very readily understood. By use of these baskets the dealer avoids the necessity of handling the fruit and lifting it out of the packed baskets and putting it into a display-basket, for all that he needs to do is to break the seal and remove the cover and his fruit is in as practical a display-basket as any he can obtain.

The handle A' can be put inside the side walls of the basket A, and it is desirable to do so when very heavy loads are to be carried, as it affords an additional support for the covel` at this point. I also desire to remark that by making the handle of eXtra height the cover with the side arches could be inserted under the same and still have some of the advantages of my invention-namely, that the same could be piled two and two--but there would of course in this structure be a waste of material, and the baskets would be more or less awkward to handle and would not possess all of the virtues of my structure.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a basket A having a handle A; of a top or cover having bands B, B', to form the sides and ends thereof; arches D, D, arranged each side of the handle; and central longitudinal strips C with a separate piece or card C to close or seal under the handle at the center, for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of a basket A havingr a-handle A; of a top or coverl having bands B, B', to form the sides and ends thereof; arches D, D, arranged each side of the handle; and central longitudinal strips C, for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of a basket having an arched handle and a cover havingva band or loop adapted to rest on the top of the basket and having au open central space to receive the handle up through the same; and a seal to extend across the open space under the handle, for the purpose specified.

y In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL J. DUNKLEY. [L. s]

Witnesses:

ALICE E. HoUGHToN, O'ris A. EARL. 

